The Alternative NHL Awards for 2019-20

SAN JOSE — Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Sharks 0. A year after the Sharks lost Patrick Marleau to the Maple Leafs, the Sharks came up short in their effort to bring the biggest unrestricted free agent to hit the open market in the NHL’s salary cap era to Silicon Valley. According to multiple reports, John

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Kings promoted Mike Futa to assistant general manager. Because it’s now being reported, via a Kings spokesman, that the Sabres have been granted permission to speak with Futa about their GM vacancy. Futa was once thought to be heir apparent to Dean Lombardi in Los Angeles.

When told of the Penguins’ Game 4 starter, Marc-Andre Fleury disappeared, once again graciously relinquishing the crease to Matt Murray, Pittsburgh’s presently healthy, and always preferred, puck stopper. Having watched a championship run from the end of the bench last year when Murray surfaced from the minor leagues, and then serving as the backup this season while at the same time managing the ever-present threat of a trade proposal – which would have truly tested his team-first mentality – Fleury was called upon after warmups in Game 1 of the first round when the Penguins’ hot, upstart netminder went down with an injury. In that moment, Fleury launched an unlikely Conn Smythe Trophy bid.